Naval Support Activity Philadelphia
Philadelphia Naval Compound
Naval Inventory Control Point
Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP)
The Mission of the Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) is to provide program and supply support for the weapons systems that keep our Naval forces mission ready. This mission is carried out by a single command organization operating as a tenant activity of the Naval Support Activities in Mechanicsburg and Philadelphia.

On October 2, 1995, the Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) was established with the merging of the former Aviation Supply Office (ASO) in Philadelphia and Ships Parts Control Center (SPCC) in Mechanicsburg. The purpose of this merger was to bring together all of the Navy's Program Support Inventory Control Point (PSICP) functions under a single command. The move to join the activities together with one Command, two sites was the result of a need to reduce costs and infrastructure as well as to standardize inventory management procedures. With a mission "to provide program and supply support for the weapons systems that keep our Naval forces mission ready," NAVICP's goal is to provide customers with quality products for best value in a timely manner.

Aviation support has a rich history, dating back to 1917 with the establishment of the Naval Aircraft Factory at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. In order to support the expanding and complex Naval air system, ASO was founded on October 1, 1941 with 200 civilian employees and 14 officers at the Naval Aircraft Factory in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. In December 1942, ASO was given its own home within the Naval Aviation Supply Depot. By the end of 1945, the Depot boasted 5,332 civilians, 507 officers, and 676 enlisted personnel. There are now 1,500 civilians employed at the Philadelphia site. The Philadelphia site primarily focuses on aviation and weapon system support. Among the aircraft supported are the F/A-18 and the V-22 as well as various engines, common avionics, and support equipment.

Defense Supply Center Philadelphia
The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia is an Inventory Control Point within the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). DSCP annually provides over $5.46 billion worth of food, clothing, textiles, medicines, medical equipment, general and industrial supplies and services to America's warfighters, their eligible dependents and other non-Defense Department customers worldwide. DSCP is located on the Naval Inventory Control Point (NAVICP) Philadelphia Compound in Northeast Philadelphia at 700 Robbins Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19111-5096.

DSCP has a global presence around the world. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia -European Region is the warfighters? supplier of choice in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. DSCPE maintains 13 offices in six countries. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia-Pacific Region operates in 12 locations and 11 time zones. Support offices in Alaska, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Guam and Hawaii provide rapid and flexible solutions to logistical challenges within the area.

The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) is one of the largest activities within the Defense Logistics Agency. It's mission - to provide food, clothing and textiles, medicines, and medical supplies to America's military, their dependents, and civilian customers worldwide. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, along with other DLA agencies, was awarded the Defense Joint Meritorious Unit Award for exceptionally meritorious achievement or service during the period of 17 February 1994 to 1 October 1995.

The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia military and civilian employees strive for excellence. Here are some examples of recent accomplishments: 1995 Ford Foundation Award Winner for Innovations in American Government; The Vice President's Hammer Award); 1995 Commander in Chief's Installation Excellence Award; 1995 Commander-in-Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence. The award recognizes the creative efforts of the people who operate and maintain military installations. DSCP was honored for excellence in its installation management and reinvention efforts, customer satisfaction and employee development; the Vice Presidential Hammer Award. This award is given to recognize our Electronic Commerce initiatives which streamline government operations.

The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia's roots started in the year 1800 with the construction of the Schuylkill Arsenal in Philadelphia. The arsenal began as a warehouse for military supplies and ammunition. Soon afterwards, seamstresses were contracted to make uniforms by hand in their own homes. This clothing and textile manufacturing and storage operation expanded to eventually become the primary function of the arsenal.

During the Civil War, more than 10,000 seamstresses and tailors were hired to make uniforms and clothing for Union troops. The facility and its workers proved their outstanding capabilities again during World War I. However, the enormous requirements of the war highlighted the need for a larger facility, so the operation was moved between 1918 and 1922 from Gray's Ferry to the newly constructed buildings at our current location. Four years later, the facility was renamed the "Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot."

In 1933, the then PQMD was called upon to perform its biggest peacetime mission - outfitting the Civilian Conservation Corps. The monumental task of fully supplying, from scratch, the 600,000 man corps with clothing and textile materials prepared PQMD for the massive build up of World War II.

A brand new clothing factory and other buildings were completed in early 1942 - just in time for World War II when the Army swelled to more than eight million soldiers, double the number of U.S. enlisted men in World War I. With this tremendous expansion our factory dedicated itself to accommodating "odd-sized" recruits and short notice requirements.

The creation of DISC began in 1947 when a presidential commission recommended centralizing management of common military logistics support under the General Stores Supply Office. The headquarters for the new organization was located at the Naval Aviation Supply Depot Compound in Northeast Philadelphia. In 1954, commodity-manager agencies were established. These agencies bought, stored and issued supplies, managed inventories and forecast requirements. During this time, the Navy managed medical supplies, petroleum and industrial parts; the Army managed food and clothing; and the Air Force managed electronic items. During the Korean War the facility served the military and nation well.

In 1962, the Defense Industrial Supply Center evolved as the result of a merger between the Military Industrial Supply Agency and the Defense Supply Agency. In its first year of operation, DISC had net sales of $107 million. For the next 37 years, DISC served the warfighter during wars, peacekeeping missions and humanitarian relief efforts on the global theater. The general and industrial items that were purchased by DISC now make up DSCP?s fourth directorate. Merchandise includes a wide assortment of industrial and general application items, ranging from nuts, bolts and washers, minerals and precious metals to wood products, imaging and information equipment and marine safety and fire fighting equipment.

In 1965 the Defense Clothing and Textiles Supply Center was consolidated with the Defense Subsistence Supply Center and the Defense Medical Supply Center to form what is now called the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP). Providing food, medicines and medical supplies to the military were missions added to our already essential clothing and textile supply responsibilities.

The Vietnam War tested DSCP's ability to respond to a crisis. All Army and Marine Corps reserve stock, plus millions of dollars in new items were brought into a food pipeline that stretched 9,000 miles from the United States to Vietnam. In 1966, demand shifted from canned and dehydrated food to fresh food. Thousands of portable walk-in refrigerated storage boxes were erected in hastily constructed ports and supply points. Before long up to 90 percent of the American troops in Vietnam were eating fresh food. New clothing and textile items also had to be developed for a kind of war never before faced by American troops. These items included new rip stop poplin fabrics, a jungle boot with a steel plated direct molded sole, and quick drying nylon carrying straps.

DSCP's ability to respond to crisis was once again tested during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. DSCP employees worked around the clock, making sure supplies were received by American troops in Saudi Arabia quickly. By the end of the Gulf War DSCP had filled over 501,000 requisitions, worth over 2.6 billion dollars.

While DSCP supports the U.S. military during global conflicts, it also supports humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts. After natural disasters like Hurricane Andrew, in South Florida, and the massive flooding in the Midwest, DSCP aided in relief efforts. DSCP's Clothing and Textile Directorate supplied coats, tents and other items to U.S. troops and foreign military services involved in the peacekeeping effort in Somalia. The Medical Directorate handled over 6,800 requests for supplies. Items included vaccines, penicillin, sunscreen, burn blankets, sutures and surgical gloves. DSCP's Subsistence Directorate provided U.S. troops with over 2.2 million meals, ready to eat rations. Total food support exceeded 45 million dollars.

The workers in DSCP's Subsistence Directorate serve as a key link between the U.S. armed forces and the food industry. This directorate buys about 1.8 billion dollars of food products for troop issue and resale in 369 commissaries worldwide. In addition to supporting America's military and their dependents, Subsistence buys fresh and frozen food for about 300 non-Defense Department customers, including the Veterans Administration and Public Health Service hospitals and the District of Columbia School District. The directorate manages over twenty five warehouses, including two in Germany and one in England.

DSCP's Clothing and Textile Directorate buys over 5,000 different clothing and equipment items to outfit U.S. troops and civilian customers. It also manages an analytical testing laboratory that has supported the Defense Department's testing needs for over 75 years. This laboratory provides everything from chemical and physical analysis of metals and clothing, to dimensional evaluations and full hazardous waste analysis.